Why 2019 Season Was Huge Success for Cincinnati Bearcats Football

 

Cincinnati Bearcats finished the 2019 football season 11-3, losing the AAC Championship Game (their first ever appearance) and winning the Birmingham Bowl.

Back-to-back 11 win seasons

There’s are some places in college football where winning 10 games is routine and the standard. Cincinnati, historically is not one of those places. 2019 represents the 8th 10-win season in program history and the the third time Cincinnati has won 10 (or more) games in consecutive seasons - 2007-2009, 2011-2012, 2018-2019.

It is also the second time they have won 11 games in back-to-back seasons (2008-2009) and just the 3rd time in program history accomplishing that many wins.

Back-to-back bowl wins

Cincinnati won the Military Bowl in 2018 and the Birmingham Bowl this season. It’s just the third time in school history that they have won a bowl game in consecutive seasons (2006-2007 and 2011-2012).

The Birmingham Bowl is the 10th bowl victory in school history (in 19 appearances).

11 players honored on All-AAC team

While the season was a success for the Bearcats team, individually, almost a dozen players were honored by the conference. That’s a big sign of success and respect.

First Team - OL Morgan James, TE Josiah Deguara, DL Elijah Ponder, LB Bryan Wright, LB Perry Young, CB Ahmad Gardner, S Darrick Forrest

Second team - RB Michael Warren II, P James Smith

Honorable mentions - K Sam Crosa, S Ja’Von Hicks

No bad losses

Cincinnati lost three games to two teams who went a combined 25-3 (Ohio State and Memphis). Sure, there were a lot of close wins (ECU, USF, Temple) but wins are wins and there is no shame in losing to one of the best team’s in the country and the AAC conference champs.

Victory Bell stays “home”

Cincinnati beat Miami for the 14th consecutive season. This one feels like a bigger-than-usual win, because Miami (8-5) won the MAC Championship Game.

First win against a ranked opponent in 10 years

Cincinnati beat UCF 27-24, to open conference play on October 4. UCF came into the game ranked #18, giving Cincinnati their first win over a ranked opponent since the famous Pitt game on 12/5/2009.

Luke Fickell gets “off the schneid”

Coming into that UCF game, Fickell’s Bearcats were 0-6 vs ranked teams since the start of the 2017 season. The UCF win was his first against a ranked opponent and his first against UCF.

In addition to being 0-2 vs UCF, Fickell was also 0-2 vs Temple, whom the Bearcats beat 15-13 in late November. He also got his first wins against Houston and Tulsa.

2 P5 wins

“Power 5” wins are a fairly meaningless metric, however some people believe beating a team from a power conference has value. Well, Cincinnati won two of those such games in 2019, beating UCLA and Boston College. Both teams finished with a losing record, but it’s still notable that Cincinnati can compete and beat teams with much greater resources.

Nippert attendance record

Despite some social media conversations about the lack of attendance, Cincinnati had more fans in the 6 games at Nippert Stadium than any other season.

Fan support continues to grow!

Emergence of young stars

CB Ahmad Gardner, a true freshman, is a guy who made a major impact in 2019. He had two game-changing pick sixes (UCF and ECU). Was named First team All-AAC and has been named to several publications’ All-Freshman Teams.

Coming into the 2019 season, the defensive line was considered Cincinnati’s biggest weakness, but it proved to be one of the stronger units on the team with guys like Elijah Ponder, Myjai Sanders, Curtis Brooks, Marcus Brown, Malik Vann.

How about the emergence of Ja’Von Hicks? A few days before the season opener, it was announced that star safety James Wiggins would miss the 2019 season. Hicks, a sophomore, was the next man up. He has 5 interceptions and 4 fumble recoveries this year.

Return of Gerrid Doaks

As a freshman RB in 2017, Gerrid Doaks led the team in rushing with just 513 (Cincinnati’s area code) rushing yards. Doaks missed the entire 2018 season with an injury and returned this year, emerging as the lead back up to Warren.

Coming into the season, the RB depth chart included Charles McClelland and Tavion Thomas. McClelland tore his ACL and Thomas, after various issues, entered the transfer portal. That left only Doaks behind Warren and he took full advantage of the opportunity. Entering the bowl game, he has 499 yards rushing and 5 rush TDs (plus 1 receiving TD).

#1 Group of Five recruiting class

National Signing Day was a huge success for Cincinnati in 2019. Per 247Sports, their class is ranked #53, the best in the conference and among all Group of Five teams.

This includes a pair of local 4-star recruits, both ranked in the top 350 players nationally and the top 6 players in Ohio - QB Evan Prater and LB Jaheim Thomas.

Success of the AAC

This isn’t necessarily specific to UC, but the American Athletic Conference had a really strong year and deserves continued respect.

When the final polls are revealed, the AAC will have three teams in the top 25 - Memphis, Cincinnati, Navy. And it’s likely UCF is on the brink and finishes in the top 30. That’s more than the Big 12 (2), PAC-12 (2), and ACC (1) will all have. In total, the Group of Five should have 6 ranked teams (App State, Boise St, Air Force).

5 of the AAC’s 12 schools finished the season with 10 (or more wins) - Cincy, Memphis, Navy, SMU, UCF.

The conference went 4-3 in bowl games, with 2 victories over “P5 teams”, including a pretty good Kansas State team (that beat Oklahoma).

History of New York Knicks vs Defunct Franchises

 

 

How the New York Knicks have fared historically against defunct or re-located NBA franchises.

Defunct Team	Knicks’ Wins	Opponent’s Wins
St Louis Hawks (1955-1968)	42	74
New Jersey Nets (1977-2012)	83	80
Charlotte Bobcats (2004-2014)	20	16
Philadelphia Warriors (1946-1962)	75	86
Buffalo Braves (1970-1978)	27	21
Minneapolis Lakers (1948-1960)	45	46
Vancouver Grizzlies (1995-2001)	8	2
Seattle Supersonics (1967-2008)	60	51
Syracuse Nationals (1949-1963)	60	91
Rochester Royals (1948-1957)	33	31
Cincinnati Royals (1957-1972)	53	77
New Orleans Jazz (1974-1979)	11	10
Washington Bullets (1974-1997)	70	47

NBA Finals History

Knicks 0-3 vs “defunct” franchises in three straight Finals appearances. Knicks lost to Rochester Royals in 1951 and Minneapolis Lakers in 1952 and 1953.

Playoffs History

New Jersey Nets – 5-5 overall record in 3 series. Knicks were swept in 2004 and won 3-1 in 1994 first round on their path to the Finals.

Philadelphia Warriors – Lost both games in 1947 playoffs

Syracuse Nationals – Lost 4 of the 6 playoff series

Why I Am Excited for the 2019-20 New York Knicks Season

 

I have been a passionate and dedicated fan of the New York Knicks for over 30 years. I have been to hundreds of games at Madison Square Garden, dozens of games outside of New York and met many legends and current/former players (Steve Novak would fall under the category of legends right?). But during my 30 years of fandom, I have been mostly miserable.

I am more excited about this 2019-20 season than any season over the past decade.

This team should be more exciting and bring more optimism than the years with Carmelo Anthony and Amare Stoudemire. Yes, those teams were actually good. They actually had winning potential. They actually made the playoffs! But those teams also always had a ceiling, with Lebron James as an obstacle, so the potential for success was limited.

This year’s team definitely won’t be as good as those teams. Actually, they probably won’t be good, period. They don’t have Kevin Durant. They don’t have Kyrie Irving. And they don’t have Zion Williamson.

So what in the world makes me so excited?

For the first time in 10 years, I see the light at the end of the tunnel. I see the potential. I see the ability for growth and development. I see young, hungry, homegrown players who want to be in New York, who want to rebuild the Knicks and be part of a winning team.

For the first time in 10 years, there are no overpriced, over-hyped players. There is no controversies. No off-the-court issues. For once, I am optimistic about the future, because the roster resembles glimpses of hope for a bright future, something no roster from the last 10 years has shown.

What Knicks Don’t Have

Let’s start with the three guys already mentioned and describe what the Knicks don’t have entering this season.

They don’t have a guy with a torn achilles who will not play in 2019-20. Yes, Kevin Durant will play again and having him on the roster would provide hope, but would also provide a cloud of pessissism. What if he never makes it back? What if he’s never the same? Then, it would simply be the same old Knicks.

They don’t have a guy with past locker room issues. Kyrie Irving ruined the young guys in Boston, and the Knicks are full of young guys. You saw regression from Jaylen Brown, Jason Tatum and Terry Rozier last season. Not to say he will in Brooklyn, or would have in New York, but on a roster full of young players who the Knicks need to develop, is he really the best type of mentor?

They don’t have a guy whose projected to be a “generational talent”, but will now miss 6-8 weeks due to a knee injury. I love Zion Williamson and have hardly anything negative to say about him. But simply put, I am excited for RJ Barrett. I think he will be a star. As good as Zion? We’ll see. But if RJ becomes his own star, who cares about Zion.

Face of the Franchise

On the subject of Barrett, he replaces Kristaps Porzingis as the face of the franchise. Porzingis as the face, never really set in. It was always Carmelo’s team, until 2017-18 when Porzingis was officially anointed as “the man”. Unfortunately, that lasted 48 games as Porzingis tore his ACL in early February 2018 and hasn’t played a game since and was traded last year to Dallas.

The face of the franchise is supposed to be loved and idolized. He was hated on day 1, booed almost unanimously by Knicks fans on draft night. He eventually earned their trust with his play, but later alienated them with his attitude.

Contrarily, RJ Barrett was immediately embraced as the savior of the Knicks. And he, in return, embraced New York, the history of the Knicks, and the fans.

And fans immediately embraced him as the face of the Knicks.

When was the last time, Knicks fans were united in admiring a young star? Correction, outside of Porzingis, when was the last time the Knicks had a young star, period?

99% of the Knicks all-time draft picks have been booed. Barrett received a monster ovation on draft night.

Young talent

Those Carmelo and Amare teams were fun. But they didn’t have the young talent that this Knicks team has. The pre-Melo teams had young talent like Danilo Gallinari, Landry Fields, Wilson Chandler. You could see potential in those teams.

This team has a handful of players with the potential to be very good and it will be fun to monitor those guys’ development throughout the year.

• Dennis Smith was the centerpiece of the Porzingis deal last year. As a result, Knicks will certainly give him every chance to succeed.
• Frank Ntilikina was the #8 pick in 2017 Draft and was a star for France during this summer’s World Cup. Is he ready to finally break out?
• Mitchell Robinson finished third in the league in blocks (2.4 bpg) and made NBA All-Rookie Second Team, after being a second round pick in 2018.
• Kevin Knox has shown great improvement this summer after being the 9th pick in 2018 and could be in for a break through season.
• Allonzo Trier was undrafted in 2018 and averaged 10.9 ppg, playing a big role for the Knicks last year.

No one is saying these guys will be All Stars. But the simple fact that the Knicks have half a dozen young players with this much talent and potential, is exciting. If I’m going to spend hundreds of dollars going to MSG, I’d rather see Frank and Knox play over Tim Hardaway Jr, Mario Hezonja and Courtney Lee. If I’m going to spend my Saturday night at home watching the Knicks, let’s see what Smith is capable of doing at PG, as opposed to Trey Burke or Emmanuel Mudiay.

Free Agency Success

The “media”, you know, the talking heads on ESPN, the guys that sit behind a computer and write articles and tweet out all sorts of nonsense? Those guys will have you believe “LOL KNICKS” in regards to their offseason. I feel really strongly that this off-season was a success for the Knicks.

But to see the success, that requires you to look at the moves made in isolation and not the moves they didn’t make. They didn’t get any bonafide All Stars, but they got quality, professional, winning basketball players. And while that sounds “LOL KNICKS”, it’s something this team has lacked for many years. 

The centerpiece of the Knicks summer spending was former top 10 pick Julius Randle. Knicks fans had much higher hopes and the media talked up the Knicks as an option for guys like Kyrie, Durant, Kawhi, Kemba. But the Knicks “settled” for Randle. “Settled” for a guy who averaged 21.4 ppg and 8.7 rpg last season and has averaged 15 ppg/9 rpg for his career. Give me his production, his athleticism, and his everything over a guy like Enes Kanter.

The Knicks signed 5 other free agents – Elfrid Payton, Marcus Morris, Bobby Portis, Taj Gibson, Wayne Ellington. These guys aren’t the greatest, but like I said, these are real life professional basketball players. All of them are better than Emmanuel Mudiay, Ron Baker, Willy Hernangomez, and Luke Kornet.

No one on the 2018-19 Knicks projects to be as frustrating to watch as Tim Hardaway Jr (yet) or as defensively-challenged as Enes Kanter. The Knicks teams of the past were filled with over-priced, over-hyped veterans. These vets are on 1-2 year contracts and will be motivated by success so that they can get a bigger contract elsewhere in the near future. They will be trying hard to win.

Decade of Misery

It’s hard being a Knicks fan. It really is. It’s been 6 years since the Knicks last made the playoffs (in 2013). Since that season, here are the Knicks win totals – 37, 17, 32, 31, 29, 17. No bueno.

But that’s why I am excited! Maybe the Knicks won’t reach the 37 wins from 2014, but I guarantee they win more than 17! There’s no doubt the Knicks will be actively trying to win this season, a nice change of pace from fans rooting for losses and a high draft pick.

The Future

And maybe the Knicks still will end up with a high draft pick. The Pelicans won 37 games last season and won the lottery. Maybe that can happen to the Knicks? With the new lottery system, it’s certainly possible the Knicks win enough games to not completely suck and then get lucky in the lottery.

The Knicks already have several lottery tickets on their roster, with coach David Fizdale looking to maximize the talent on his roster and develop a few stars. Among the vets signed in free agency, several will likely be traded before February, fetching a young player or draft pick in return. The Knicks will continue to pile assets throughout this season and it will be another rebuilding season, with an eye towards the future. But if you put your eyes on the present, you can watch the process unfold.

All I have ever wanted is a team that epitomizes New York City – work hard, show toughness, and be successful. That last point remains to be seen, but this team will compete every night. And this team will win games.

Go New York, Go New York, GO!

50 Reasons to be Excited for 2019 NFL Season

 

The season opens on Thursday September 5 with the Bears vs Packers, for the 199th meeting all-time. It’s one of the oldest rivalries in football and the league felt this was a great way to kick off their 100th season celebration, as opposed to the usual tradition of having the defending Super Bowl champs kick off the season.

To celebrate 50 days till kick off, here are 50 reasons to be excited for the start of the 2019 NFL season.

1. For starters, the world is a better place during football season. Fans can sit at home or sit in a bar for 8 hours on Sundays and track their fantasy teams, bets, and favorite teams. Football is awesome.

Vulnerable teams at the top?

2. Could the Patriots run finally end? No, obviously it will not, but it’s fun to pretend like there is a chance. TE Rob Gronkowski retired and DE Trey Flowers and LT Trent Brown left via free agency, so maybe their respective replacements will struggle and provide hope for another AFC team. Or most likely, this team won’t miss a beat in their pursuit for #7. But there is certainly excitement in watching teams try.

3. Is a Super Bowl hangover possible for the Rams? They are young and hungry enough to get back after their disappointing loss to the Patriots. But past Super Bowl losers have looked the same way as the Rams and failed. There are major question marks about Todd Gurley and his knee and after the wear and tear this team went through a year ago, are they up to it again?

Runner ups are back for more

4. Patrick Mahomes is only 24 years old. In his second NFL season, and first as a full-time starter, Mahomes threw 50 touchdown passes and won MVP. He won’t have Kareem Hunt and may be without Tyreek Hill for part of the season, but the Chiefs have surrounded Mahomes with enough offensive talent and done enough tinkering to their defense to help Mahomes avoid a sophomore slump and help get the Chiefs to the Super Bowl for the first time since 1969.

5. The Saints might just score 100 points a game in their 2019 revenge tour, to prove a point after the controversial loss in the NFC Championship game. Even at nearly 40 years old, Drew Brees is at the top of his game (much more on him below), with WR Michael Thomas and RB Alvin Kamara among the best at their respective positions. As long as the defense keeps pace, they will be in a position to make another deep playoff run.

New head coaches

6. Bengals have the longest playoff win drought in the NFL – it’s been 28 years! Marvin Lewis coached in Cincinnati for 16 years, going 0-7 in playoff games. Following the 2018 season, the team finally moved on, replacing him with Rams Offensive Coordinator, Zac Taylor. Taylor should bring an exciting offense with him and help rejuvenate the franchise and fan-base.

7. Kliff Kingsbury brings his air raid offense from college to the pros, replacing Steve Wilks in Arizona after Wilks coached the Cardinals for just one season. Kingsbury decided to shake up the team immediately by replacing 2018 first round pick Josh Rosen, with 2019 #1 overall pick Kyler Murray. Watching these two go to work, with a healthy David Johnson, Larry Fitzgerald, and a young group of WRs, will be must see Red Zone TV action.

8. Bruce Arians is back! That’s good news for fans of offensive football (not the type of offensive football the Tampa Bay Buccaneers have played the last couple of years). Arians offensive system should do wonders for Jameis Winston and Mike Evans. And who knows, maybe they’ll even try running the ball in 2019.

9. No Hue Jackson in Cleveland is good news for Browns fans and players, but probably bad news for anyone who likes to mock the Browns. Seriously though, Freddie Kitchens steps in as the new head coach, after going 5-3 as the interim in 2018. Browns made strong hires at both coordinator positions too, bringing on Todd Monken to run offense and Steve Wilks on defense. Browns made a lot of key moves this off-season and for the first time in decades have real expectations entering the season.

10. How will Aaron Rodgers get along with new coach Matt LaFleur? There were many stories that came out last winter about Rodgers and his relationship with former coach Mike McCarthy. LaFleur is 39 years old, only a couple years older than the Packers franchise QB and has only been an NFL assistant coach since 2015. It will be fun to see what innovative principles he brings to an offense with Rodgers, Davante Adams, Aaron Jones and a handful of other young, hungry weapons.

11. Adam Gase takes over Jets after being fired by Dolphins, who replaced him with Patriots Defensive Coordinator Brian Flores. Gase went 23-26 in three seasons with the Dolphins and will look to turnaround a Jets team that has not made the playoffs since 2010. Dolphins potentially have a bottom five roster in the NFL, so year one for Flores could be challenging.

12. The Vance Joseph era in Denver was a huge disaster. Broncos are moving forward with an older, veteran coach Vic Fangio, a longtime Defensive Coordinator. Fangio’s experience and leadership will help but this team will only go as far as the offense lets it go.

Swan songs

13. In the NFL, careers end in the blink of an eye and some end as expected. These players might play their final game in 2019 – Eli Manning, Adrian Peterson, Larry Fitzgerald, Greg Olsen, Sean Lee, Jason Witten, Antonio Gates, Jason Peters, Andrew Whitworth, Frank Gore, Terrell Suggs, Adam Vinatieri. And maybe Tom Brady??

14. How about swan songs for coaches? Could this be the last season for Jason Garrett, Mike Tomlin, Doug Marrone, Bill O’Brien, Pat Shurmur, Jay Gruden, Matt Patricia, Ron Rivera, Kyle Shanahan?

15. The Raiders will officially move to Las Vegas in time for the 2020 season. 2019 will be the last chance for Oakland fans to dress up and support their team at the Coliseum.

Return from injury

16. It will be great to see these guys back on the field, fully healthy after missing parts (or all) of the 2018 season – Cam Newton, Carson Wentz, Odell Beckham Jr, Aaron Rodger, Richard Sherman, Jimmy Garappolo, Earl Thomas, Cooper Kupp, Demaryius Thomas, Travis Frederick, Delanie Walker.

Other returns

17. Jason Witten is back! This is good news for all football fans. For Cowboys fans, Witten is a legend who will provide veteran leadership in the locker room and on the field and can become a reliable red zone target for a team that was terrible in 2018 in that part of the field. But more importantly, being in the locker room and on the field means he won’t be in ESPN’s booth, announcing Monday Night Football games. Everyone wins.

18. LeVeon Bell returns after sitting out the 2018 season in a contract holdout. Bell signed a massive free agent deal with the Jets.

Revenge games

19. Bell will get his shot at revenge when the Jets face Bell’s former team the Steelers in Week 16. This game might just have Wild Card implications for one or both teams.

20. In Week 5, Bears’ Khalil Mack gets to line up against the Raiders, the team that traded him for draft picks last August. Mack had 12.5 sacks for the Bears last season.

21. In Week 7, new Ravens safety Earl Thomas faces his former Seahawks teammates – the same Seahawks team that he flipped the middle finger to in 2018 while being carted off the field with a season ending knee injury.

22. After six years in Washington, 2012 4th round pick, Kirk Cousins left the Redskins to sign with the Vikings in 2018. In Week 8, Cousins gets to face his former team for the first time since signing that contract.

23. In 2019, there are 6 games on the schedule that feature rematches from recent Super Bowls (since 2003) – Giants vs Patriots, Eagles vs Patriots, Ravens vs 49ers, Steelers vs Cardinals, Steelers vs Seahawks, and Saints vs Colts

Quarterbacks

24. The last three QBs to win the Heisman Trophy will all have a chance to shine. The 2018 and 2019 #1 overall picks (both Oklahoma Sooners) enter 2019 as the unquestioned starting QBs – Baker Mayfield for the Browns and Kyler Murray for the Cardinals, as does 2018 #32 pick Lamar Jackson.

25. Speaking of Heisman Trophy winning quarterbacks, the pressure is on Bucs’ Jameis Winston and Titans’ Marcus Mariota to perform at a high level. Both players have one year remaining on their current contracts and were not drafted by their current coaching staffs. If they don’t perform at a high level, the Bucs and Titans, respectively, may enter the 2020 QB market.

26. Super Bowl 52 MVP Nick Foles finally gets his shot as a full-time starting QB. Following a disastrous 2018 season, Jacksonville Jaguars finally moved on from former first round pick Blake Bortles and signed Nick Foles to a big contract. We’ll see how Foles performs outside of Philly.

27. The Dolphins also moved on from a former first round pick, Ryan Tannehill, and are holding a competition between Ryan FitzMagic and Josh “Chosen” Rosen. They are one of just two teams (Redskins) to hold a true competition entering training camp. Regardless of who wins this QB battle, Dolphins will likely be in the mix to draft a QB in 2020.

28. Andrew Luck and DeShaun Watson both missed all or most of the 2017 season due to injuries and returned in 2018 with authority, each starting 16 games and guiding the Colts and Texans, respectively, into the playoffs. The AFC South division battle between these two teams and these QBs will be exciting.

29. The 2016 Draft class of QBs continues to improve and all three are in line for huge 2019 seasons. Carson Wentz, fresh off a new contract, should be back healthy and ready to get back to his 2017 MVP form. Jared Goff is looking to bounce back after a disastrous performance in the Super Bowl. And Dak Prescott enters a contract year, having won his first playoff game in 2018 and has led the Cowboys to the NFC East title in two of his three years.

30. Rookie QBs are waiting in the wings. Among the 2019 QB class, only Kyler Murray is guaranteed to start Week 1. But Daniel Jones (Giants), Drew Lock (Broncos), Dwayne Haskins (Redskins) could all get their shot at some point throughout 2019.

31. QBs seeking their first playoff win – Matthew Stafford is 0-3, Andy Dalton is 0-4, and four others are 0-1 including Kirk Cousins, Lamar Jackson, Mitchell Trubisky, and Deshaun Watson.

New faces in new places – offensive edition

32. WR Antonio Brown has 6 consecutive seasons with 100+ catches, 1,200+ yards, and 8+ TDs each season. In 2019, he will take his talents to Oakland, catching passes from Derek Carr for John Gruden and the Raiders. Can Brown maintain his previous dominance? Whatever happens just please keep the man off twitter.

33. The NY Giants made the semi-controversial decision to move on from star WR Odell Beckham Jr, trading him to the Browns. Injuries and QB play have plagued Beckham the last couple of seasons but he re-unites with former LSU teammate WR Jarvis Landry and upstart QB Baker Mayfield.

Are Beckham and Landry the best college alumni 1-2 duo of active WRs in the NFL?

34. With a boat load of salary cap space, the Jets signed RB LeVeon Bell and LB CJ Mosley. They later fired the GM who signed those players.

35. The plan for the Ravens was always to build a run-oriented offense around Lamar Jackson. That will be even more true now that they have added former Saint Mark Ingram to their backfield. Ingram should be a big upgrade over guys like Alex Collins and Gus Edwards.

Getting defensive

36. Chiefs lost Dee Ford to the 49ers and Justin Houston to the Colts, but traded their 2019 first round pick to Seattle to acquire Frank Clark, who finished 6th in the league in 2018 wit 14 sacks.

37. 49ers bolstered their defense by adding the aforementioned Dee Ford and signing LB Kwon Alexander along with drafting DL Nick Bosa.

38. The 2019 off-season saw a big safety shuffle – Landon Collins left the Giants to sign with their division rival Redskins, Tyrann Matheiu left the Texans and signed with the Chiefs, replacing long time legend Eric Berry (who is still a free agent). Earl Thomas replaced Eric Weddle in Baltimore and Weddle signed with the LA Rams. Lamarcus Joyner, who was replaced by Weddle in LA, signed with the Raiders. Adrian Amos left the Bears for the Packers and the Bears replaced him with former Packer Ha Ha Clinton-Dix.

39. AFC East added an exciting trio of potentially impactful rookies at Defensive Tackle during the draft – Jets selected Quinnen Williams #3, Bills took Ed Oliver #9, and Dolphins took Christian Wilkins #13.

2019 Playoffs

40. Several 2017 playoff teams look to bounce back after missing the playoffs in 2018 – Steelers, Titans, Falcons, Panthers, plus the Packers

41. There are currently 12 teams have never won the Super Bowl. A new season, brings new optimism. Will 2019 be the year for one of these teams – Vikings, Chargers, Bills, Bengals, Cardinals, Titans, Panthers, Falcons, Texans, Jaguars, Lions, Browns. Those last four have never even made it to the big game.

Milestone Tracker

42. Saints QB Drew Brees has 520 career touchdown passes, 19 behind Peyton Manning’s all-time record of 539.

43. If Brees throws 30 TDs and Patriots QB Tom Brady throws 33, those men would join the 550 passing touchdowns club, where they would be the only two members.

44. One more note on Drew Brees. He needs 387 pass attempts to break Brett Favre’s all-time record of 10,169 passes. For context, in 13 seasons with the Saints, he has thrown over 400 completions 9 times and 2018 was the last time he threw less than 500 passes (489).

45. Ageless wonder Frank Gore, now with the Bills and entering the season a young 36 years of age, needs 521 yards rushing to pass Barry Sanders for third on the all-time rushing yards list (Sanders has 15,269 yards to Gore’s 14,748). Gore would be one of only four players to ever rush for 15k yards.

46. Redskins RB Adrian Peterson needs 4 rushing touchdowns to tie and 5 to pass Walter Payton to move up to #4 on the all-time rushing TDs list (Peterson currently has 106)

47. Only five players have ever caught 120 touchdowns or more (Jerry Rice, Randy Moss, Terrell Owens, Cris Carter, Marvin Harrison). Larry Fitzgerald and Antonio Gates are both 4 touchdowns away from joining the club.

48. Only six players in NFL history have recorded 140 sacks (or more). New Cardinals pass rusher Terrell Suggs needs 7.5 sacks to join a group that includes Bruce Smith, Reggie White, Kevin Greene, Julius Peppers, Chris Doleman, and Michael Strahan.

49. Adam Vinatieri, entering his 24th season, needs 20 field goal attempts to break Morten Anderson’s all-time record of 709 FG attempts.

Bright futures

50. The 2019 season may not be favorable to every team, but for those that struggle, optimism could be around the corner as teams have three options to add a franchise QB in the 2020 Draft. Teams may #tankforTua (Alabama QB Tua Tagovailoa), #suckfortheDuck (Oregon QB Justin Herbert), or #failforFromm (Georgia QB Jake Fromm)

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The key takeaway is that football is ALMOST back!! There are so many other reasons to be excited, especially about specific teams and players – Cowboys young offensive trio, Bears defense, James Connor, Chargers overall roster, Seahawks rebuilt offense, Adam Thielen/Stefon Diggs duo, Saquon Barkley and so much more.

50 more days until kickoff!!

Ranking NFL Alma Mater Offensive Trios

 

Using only active NFL players, I take a look at ranking the best offensive trios using college alumni. This list takes the top QB, RB, WR from 32 different colleges.

The Best

The top two schools have veteran Pro Bowl talent at all three positions.

1 Stanford

QB Andrew Luck, RB Christian McCaffery, TE Zach Ertz

Luck returned healthy in 2018, throwing 39 touchdown passes (second most in the league). Christian McCaffery almost joined the 1000/1000 club (1,098 yards rushing, 867 yards receiving). Zach Ertz led all tight ends in catches (116), finished third in yards (1,163 yards), and third in touchdowns (8).

2 Georgia

QB Matthew Stafford, RB Todd Gurley, WR AJ Green

Matthew Stafford has been as reliable as any QB over the past decade, despite the lack of postseason success. Todd Gurley had All-Pro seasons in 2017 and 2018 but does have questions and concerns about his knee moving forward. AJ Green had an injury-shortened 2018 season, but certainly looked like himself when he was in the lineup.

3. Ohio State

QB Dwayne Haskins, RB Ezekiel Elliot, WR Mike Thomas

Hard to rank Ohio State higher than this at this time, but if Redskins rookie Dwayne Haskins lives up to his potential, this team could easily vault to #1 within a year or so as Ezekiel Elliot and Michael Thomas both rank at or near the top of their respective positions.

4. Oklahoma

QB Baker Mayfield, RB Joe Mixon, WR Sterling Shepard

You could go with Sterling Shepard, Kenny Stills, or Dede Westbrook at wide receiver. But whoever your preference is, it’s that position that holds the Sooners back from being even higher.

5. Auburn

QB Cam Newton, RB Kerryon Johnson, TE CJ Uzomah

Kerryon Johnson showed great potential as a rookie, but seemed to be held back by the coaching staff as part of a running back committee. CJ Uzomah stepped up for the Bengals with injuries derailing the guys ahead of him on the depth chart. Cam Newton had a mixed 2018 season, due largely to a shoulder issue.

6. USC

QB Sam Darnold, RB Ronald Jones, WR Juju Smith-Schuster

Sam Darnold exceeded expectations as a rookie and showed he has the potential to be the Jets franchise QB. Juju Smith-Schuster put up monster numbers (111 catches, 1,426 yards, 7 TDs) and has the potential to be even better in 2019 with Antonio Brown gone from the Steelers. Ronald Jones holds USC back from being higher after receiving limited carries behind Peyton Barber on the Bucs last year.

7. North Carolina

QB Mitchell Trubisky, RB Gio Bernard, TE Eric Ebron

Eric Ebron broke out in a huge way with a league leading (for tight ends) 13 touchdown receptions. Mitchell Trubisky helped guide the Bears to the playoffs, though credit is given more to the defense and run game than to Trubisky, who needs to improve in a few areas. Gio Bernard has become a part-time RB behind Joe Mixon, but if given the chance has shown he has potential.

8. California

QB Aaron Rodgers, RB CJ Anderson, Keenan Allen

Cal is a veteran, reliable trio. Jared Goff gets left off this list due to Rodgers’ presence. Marvin Jones and Desean Jackson are other options at WR, but obviously Keenan Allen is among the best at his position. Which CJ Anderson will show up in 2019 – the version from 2017 and the first part of 2018? Or the December/playoffs version that overtook Todd Gurley?

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Missing a QB

Six unranked schools who have loaded of RB/WR talent, but nothing above “bad” at QB

Alabama – QB AJ McCarron, RB Mark Ingram, WR Julio Jones

Pittsburgh – QB Nathan Peterman (or Tom Savage), RB Lesean McCoy, WR Larry Fitzgerald

LSU – QB Danny Etling, RB Leonard Fournette, WR Odell Beckham Jr

LSU also has Jarvis Landry. Which school has produced the top active WR duo?

Miami – QB Brad Kaaya, RB Lamar Miller, TE David Njoku

Penn State – QB Trace McSorley, RB Saquon Barkley, WR Allen Robinson

Tennessee – QB Joshua Dobbs, RB Alvin Kamara, TE Jason Witten

Held back by lack of RB

Four schools that have great QB/WR combos, but lack RBs and are therefore unranked

Clemson – QB Deshaun Watson, RB Wayne Gallman, WR DeAndre Hopkins

Ole Miss – QB Eli Manning, RB Jordan Wilkins, WR Mike Wallace

Texas Tech – QB Patrick Mahomes, RB Deandre Washington, WR Michael Crabtree

Texas A&M – QB Ryan Tannehill, Treyveon Williams, Mike Evans

Not enough to make the cut

13 schools with notable trios, but not enough talent to make the rankings

Wisconsin – QB Russell Wilson, RB Melvin Gordon, TE Fumangelli

Michigan State – QB Kirk Cousins, RB Leveon Bell, WR Bennie Fowler

Louisville – QB Lamar Jackson, RB Bilal Powell, WR Devante Parker

Texas – QB Colt McCoy, RB D’onta Foreman, WR Marquise Goodwin

UCF – QB Blake Bortles, RB Latavius Murray, WR Tre’Quan Smith

Oregon – QB Marcus Mariota, RB Royce Freeman, TE Ed Dickson

West Virginia – QB Geno Smith, RB Wendell Smallwood, WR Tavon Austin

Oklahoma State – QB Brandon Weeden, RB Chris Carson, WR James Washington

Notre Dame – QB DeShone Kizer, RB Theo Riddick, WR Will Fuller/Golden Tate

Indiana – QB Nate Sudfeld, RB Jordan Howard/Tevin Coleman, WR Cody Latimer

Arizona State – QB Brock Osweiler, RB Kalen Ballage, WR N’Keal Harry

Louisiana Tech – QB Jeff Driskel, RB Kenneth Dixon, WR Trent Taylor

Central Michigan – QB Cooper Rush, RB Thomas Rawls, WR Antonio Brown

Florida State – QB Jameis Winston, RB Devonta Freeman, WR Kelvin Benjamin (currently out of work)

Noticeably missing – Michigan, Florida

Why the Knicks Have Had A Successful Free Agency

 

The Knicks were supposed to draft Zion Williamson and sign Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving.

The Knicks “struck out” and went 0-3.

Instead, they settled for RJ Barrett, the guy ranked #1 in the 2018 high school class, who averaged 22 ppg in his one year at Duke.

Kyrie Irving “came home”, but signed with Brooklyn instead of New York. Irving snubs the Knicks, after a rough two year run in Boston where he failed to lead them to the NBA Finals and alienated his teammates to the point where fans and players are happy he is gone from Boston.

Kevin Durant left the Warriors dynasty to come to New York but joined Kyrie in Brooklyn. Durant is confirmed to miss the entire 2019-20 season with a ruptured achillies and will return in 2020 with three years left on his contract at age 32 with major questions due to the significance of his injury and the fact that rarely has anyone recovered fully from this operation.

The failure to sign a nut case PG and an injured forward comes months after the Knicks traded the franchise’s most recent All Star Kristaps Porzingis. According to, well everyone, the Knicks traded Porzingis for nothing. But for the first time ever, the Knicks acquired first round picks (and didn’t send them out) and cleared significant cap space. Now, the money was supposed to be earmarked for Kyrie and Durant, but Tim Hardaway Jr, to put it kindly, was not an excellent basketball player. Shedding him from the roster allowed the Knicks the flexibility to move in a different direction.

“Porzingis was traded for nothing”. This is a funny sentiment. Kemba Walker literally left Charlotte for nothing. Boston literally got nothing for Kyrie Irving. But the Knicks did not get nothing. They got a promising young PG Dennis Smith Jr and they added veteran center DeAndre Jordan, who was reportedly an excellent mentor to Mitchell Robinson in the last couple months of the 2019 season. They also added two future first round picks.

A guy who wanted out, who made public comments disparaging the organization, who threatened to not sign his qualifying offer this summer, was traded for literally something. Much has been made about the Knicks culture and dysfunction, so why keep a guy whose causing some of that chaos.

As a Knicks fan, obviously I am disappointed. I woke up every day for months and months dreaming of a world where Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving play at MSG 41 times a year. I’m upset and frustrated but I think it’s a great move for them and wish them well and hope it works out for the Nets. But now what, for the Knicks?

Well, now they invest their cap space into adding good, quality NBA players. That sounds stupid, but if you’ve watched the Knicks or peaked at their roster the last few years, you would know this team lacked good, quality NBA players.

There’s a lot of talk that “Julius Randle won’t sell tickets”. Well, why does he have to? Every Knicks game is sold out. Every game is premium priced on secondary markets. Knicks don’t need someone to help sell out MSG, the Knicks and MSG does that itself. What the Knicks need is good, quality NBA players.

Julius Randle averaged career numbers in 2019 with the Pelicans and PF was by far the Knicks biggest need. They also signed Taj Gibson, Bobby Portis, Wayne Ellington, Reggie Bullock, and Elfrid Payton. Each of these guys was affordable for a reason but they all have their strengths and will all benefit the Knicks one way or another.

This was the right move. No more tanking. The Nets got those free agents because of the winning culture they have developed. The Knicks won 17 games in 2019. Why would any top tier guy sign with a team that won 17 games?

All of the players signed by the Knicks, with the exception of Randle, received a 1+1 contract (guaranteed contract for 2019-20 with team option for 2020). That means Knicks have flexibility to cut everyone and dip into free agency next year, they could trade these guys at trade deadline if they have value, they can trade them next summer as expiring deals, or perhaps they show enough value to stick around. Either way, it’s hard to spin these moves as a loss.

Knicks added a strong low post veteran (Gibson) to help groom Mitchell Robinson. Randle will start at PF and play a lot of minutes. Portis is still young (24 years old) and has flashed a lot of potential at times. Ellington and Bullock are both good three point shooters who can defend. And Elfrid Payton is a serviceable backup PG.

Obviously, the Knicks haven’t moved the needle with these signings. They were a 17 win team in 2019 and might be a 25-30 win team in 2020. But that’s progress. And not doing anything stupid is progress.

And what if, I don’t know, the #1 recruit from 2018, RJ Barrett, proves to be a better pro than Zion Williamson? Is that so crazy? What if Kyrie Irving implodes the Nets locker room, like he did in Boston? What if Kevin Durant is never the same player?

Knicks mockery is always going to be a crowd pleaser and #sayKnicksforclicks has been a huge hit on twitter. But let’s revisit this conversation a few years down the road and see if the last 24 hours weren’t actually a turning point for the franchise and the start of something special as opposed to “the worst moment in franchise history”.

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Which Pick Was Worse – Hasheem Thabeet vs Greg Oden

 

NBA Draft week is always an exciting week. But it also serves as a time of reflection around the league. Who has nailed their previous picks and who has missed. Two prominent players who come up on every “all time busts” lists are Hasheem Thabeet and Greg Oden. The problem with both players, it’s not just that they didn’t have the necessary impact for their teams, it’s who they passed on. Three league MVPs were chosen immediately after these respective players and have had everlasting consequences to both the Grizzlies and Blazers franchises.

 

Hasheem Thabeet

• #2 overall pick in 2009 draft to the Grizzlies
• Career lasted 2009-2014
• Played 224 games (started 20)
• 2.2 ppg, 2.7 rpg, 0.8 bpg
• 56.7% FG, 57% FT
• 10.3 PER
• Uconn starts (averaged over 3 years)  – 10.3 ppg, 8.5 rpg
• Also played for the Rockets, Blazers, Thunder

2009 NBA Draft: Clippers chose Blake Griffin #1 and Grizzlies chose Thabeet 2. Grizzlies could have had James Harden (#3) or Steph Curry (#7). Harden is expected to win MVP in 2018 and Steph Curry won the award twice and a three-time NBA champion

Greg Oden 

• #1 overall pick in 2007
• Career lasted 2008-2014
• Played 105 games (started 66)
• Missed his rookie season in 2007-08 and missed 3 full seasons from 2010-2013
• Attempted comeback with Heat in 2013-14 but was cut short
• 8 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 1.2 bpg
• 57.4 %FG,
• 18.7 career PER
• Ohio State career – 1 season averae 15.7 ppg, 9.6 rpg

2007 NBA Draft: Portland chose Greg Oden over Kevin Durant. Durant has been to three NBA finals, won 2 titles, 2x NBA finals MVP, league MVP 2014, 9x all star

Caught in the Net: Revisionist History on Brooklyn’s Bad Trade Habits

 

2018 marks the third (and hopefully final) year that the Nets do not have their own lottery pick. Some really horrible decision making by the Nets front office has set them back as they have been unable to draft some of the top prospects. Not only the lack of picks, but the guys who have been picked with picks the Nets traded have mostly turned to stars.

Where would that team, made up of players drafted by a Nets pick traded by Billy King since 2010, rank in the eastern conference?

Starting 5:
Damian Lillard
Jaylen Brown
Kyle Kuzma
Jayson Tatum
Draymond Green

Bench:
Enes Kanter, Gorgi Dieng, Shane Larkin, Kelly Oubre

The problem started in 2011, the Nets first acquired Deron Williams followed by Joe Johnson, Gerald Wallace, then Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce (Wallace was traded for Pierce and Garnett, never played with them). The Nets mortgaged their future, and sacrificed the chance at above names to win a total of 10 playoff games over a three year stretch. The lineup that appeared on the cover of Sports Illustrated (Williams, Johnson, Garnett, Pierce and Brook Lopez, coached by Jason Kidd) lasted just one year.

Nets/Celtics trade costs Brooklyn 4 years worth of first round picks
Full trade: In June 2014, Nets acquiredKevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and D.J. White from the Boston Celtics for Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans, three first-round picks (2014, 2016 and 2018), plus the right to swap first-rounders in 2017.

Let’s start with the most recent and famous trade involving the Celtics back in 2014. The 2014 pick was a bust (James Young). But in 2016, the Celtics drafted Jaylen Brown third overall and in 2017, drafted Jason Tatum third overall. While Tatum was one of the top rookies in the 2018 class, the Celtics actually had the first pick and traded down with Philly, which means the Nets could have had their pick of Markelle Fultz, Lonzo Ball, Tatum or any other rookie. Both of those players are considered key core players to the Celtics future at the top of the east, although there is talk that at least one could also be used to acquire another all star (Kahwi Leonard). Either way, the Celtics have two incredibly gifted assets to move forward with.

The 2018 pick will be used by the Cavs. The Celtics traded it as part of a deal for Kyrie Irving last summer (note – Kyrie is not included in the trade above because it was a second hand trade made with a Nets pick, not a direct trade). Therefore, the book has officially closed on the Nets/Celtics components of this trade.

As for the trade details for Brooklyn – future hall of famers Kevin Garnett and Paul Pierce never lived up to the championship hype. Garnett averaged career lows all across the board. In 2013-14 he played just 54 games, 20.5 minutes per game, 6.5 ppg, 6.6 rpg (all career lows) and his Nets career lasted just 89 games.

Paul Pierce lasted just one year in Brooklyn, playing 75 games, averaging 28 minutes per game, and 13.5 ppg – like Garnett, all career lows.

The rarely spoken Gerald Wallace Mistake
Full trade: In March 2012, Nets acquire Gerald Wallace from Blazers for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a 2012 first round pick (top 3 protected)

One of the players the Nets traded in the above Celtics deal, Gerald Wallace, was part of the deal mostly for salary matching purposes. Due to the enormity of the Celtics deal, this one often gets overlooked.
In 2012, after failing to acquire Dwight Howard, the Nets were looking to make a big move and pulled the trigger on Gerald Wallace. The draft pick they traded was protected only for top 3, and the Blazers would take Damian Lillard 6th overall. Wallace would be rewarded with a 4 year $40 million contract, which seemed a bit much at the team. Wallace’s numbers would not improve. He never fit in chemistry wise with the Nets, his numbers were down across the board and he was often injured, with injuries derailing the remainder of his career. He played just 85 games with the Nets.
Meanwhile, Lillard is a three time all-star in Portland

Before the Celtics blockbuster there was the Jazz blockbuster that cost three first round picks
Full trade: In February 2011, Nets acquired Deron Williams for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, 2011 first round pick and 2013 first round pick.

Before the Celtics trade, there was the Jazz blockbuster that cost the Nets “only” three first rounds (they had to one up themselves with Boston). The acquisition of Williams set the tone for the franchise as he was the first building block.

While technically only two picks were dealt, Derrick Favors was halfway through his rookie season when he was traded to the Jazz. Favors lasted just 56 games as a Net and has spent his whole career with Utah. He has been a quality role player for the Jazz, averaging roughly 12 ppg and 7 rpg throughout his career.
The 2011 first round pick, #3 overall, turned into Enes Kanter. Kanter has bounced around a couple of teams (was with Knicks in 2018) and has averaged near a double double for his career but is a minus defender, which negatively impacts people’s perception of him. He can only score if he is a few feet away from the basket too.

The 2013 pick turned into Gorgui Dieng, now a member of the Timberwolves, another guy who is an excellent rebounder and good low post scorer.

As for Deron Williams? Mixed bag. Williams did play 277 games for the Nets. In 2012, he signed a 5 year, $99 million max contract. At the time, it was a huge deal for the Nets, literally and figuratively, because it showed their seriousness with winning and spending money to do so. Williams would last just three more seasons in Brooklyn, getting waived in 2015 with two years left on his deal. The Nets did make the playoff three times with Williams, but never got past the second round.
  
Iso Joe costs the Nets another two first round picks 
Full trade: In July 2012, Nets acquire Joe Johnson from Atlanta Hawks for Jordan Farmer, Johan Petro, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Williams, and a 2013 first round pick

The Nets kicked off the summer of 2012 with this trade, and at the time raised some eye brows, but did make sense. After months of pursuing Dwight Howard, they wanted more star power in Brooklyn and traded a handful of players for “Iso Joe”. In 2010, with the Hawks, Johnson signed one of the craziest contracts in NBA history (at that time) signing a 6 year, $128 million deal. For the Hawks, this trade was a way to get out from under that contract. The Nets, really didn’t trade much as far as players and the draft picks didn’t pan out as stars.

In 2013, the Mavs (after this pick exchanged hands a couple times) drafted Shane Larkin 17th overall and in 2015 the Hawks drafted Kelly Ombre 15th overall (before trading him to the Wizards).
Johnson played 288 games for the Nets (starting all of them) from the time he was acquired in 2012 until 2016, when he was bought out mid season. Johnson averaged 15 ppg and despite the negativity around his contract was always a reliable and often clutch player for the Nets.
 
Draymond Green could have been a Net? 
This trade didn’t have major implications at the time and this trade is overlooked as it was made the same time as the Nets acquisition of Gerald Wallace. But in 2012, the Nets traded (what was hoped to be an innocent) second round pick and Troy Murphy to the Warriors for Dan Gadzuric and Brandon Wright. Not a horrible trade at the time, but that second round pick became, Draymond Green, a three time NBA champion and all star.

Saying good bye to the franchise
Brook Lopez was the true franchise of the Nets. He spent 8 years in New Jersey/Brooklyn and holds many franchise records. In the summer of 2017, two nights before the NBA draft, the Nets traded Brook Lopez and the 27th pick to the Lakers for D’angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov. Russell was the 2nd overall pick in 2015 so it seemed like a good idea, but the Lakers used the 27th pick to draft Kyle Kuzma.

Kuzma played 30 mpg and averaged 16 ppg, 6 rpg for the Lakers and Russell played just 48 games due to injury, averaging 15.5 ppg and 5 apg. Mozgov was only included because the Lakers wanted to shed his salary and he was the price the Nets paid to acquire Russell. He started the first 13 games and played sparingly after that (31 games total, 2 years left on contract)

Since 2010, the year the Nets hired Billy King, their first round picks include:

• 2010 – #3 Derrick Favors (last 56 games before being traded for Derron Williams)
• 2010 – #27 – Jordan Crawford (traded to the Nets before ever playing a game)
• 2011 – #27 – JaJuan Johnson (traded to Celtics for Marshon Brooks – never had much of an NBA game)
• 2013- #22 Mason Plumlee (traded on draft night for Rondae Hollis-Jefferson)
• 2015 – #29 Chris McCullough (played 38 games for Nets, traded to Wizards in 2016)
• 2017 – #22 Jarrett Allen (played 72 games a rookie, averaged 8 ppg and showed potential!)
• Allen was the first first round draft pick made by new GM Sean Marks.

In summary, the Nets have 3 playoff appearances (1 series win) and an average record of 31-49, 148 games below .500.

Farewell Billy King and cheers to a brighter future in Brooklyn!

MikeDrop: UConn is to Blame for Struggles, Not AAC

 

It was announced over the weekend that the UConn Huskies would leave the American Athletic Conference for the Big East, effective 2020-21 seasons in all sports, except football.

This is huge news, and undoubtedly the right move, and a long time coming, for the Huskies basketball program. UConn belongs in the Big East because of it’s storied history there and because of it’s proximity to local teams like Providence, St John’s, Seton Hall.

But while everyone is focused on the positives and the excitement this brings to UConn and college basketball as a whole, people continue to slander the AAC and continue to praise UConn for the program they once were and not the program they have been the last few years.

I am sick and tired of hearing UConn fans and mainstream media blast the AAC and use it as a reason why UConn has struggled the last few years.

“We’re too good for this conference”

The last three years of Huskies basketball have been really disappointing, but rather than take ownership of the failures, people have been quick to blame AAC for UConn’s struggles.

Fans and media will have you believe that UConn was always “too good for the AAC”. Well here are some facts – Huskies never won won the AAC championship. They finished third in conference in 2014 but other than that never finished higher than sixth. In each of the last three years, UConn has finished below .500 (46-52 overall) and 22-32 in AAC play. They have a losing record vs Tulsa (3-6), SMU (4-8), Temple (6-7), to name a few.

And yes, I know about all of the National Championships from the past, including the most recent one in 2014. But fans and media have everyone believing UConn is too good for this conference and that could not be further from the truth. How can you be too good if you can’t win?

“We struggled because the conference stinks”

On one hand, UConn is too good for the AAC, despite their lack of success. But on the other hand, their lack of success is because the conference stinks. Excuses, excuses…

“The reason for their struggles was because of the conference, because you can’t recruit in the AAC.” That couldn’t be further from the truth. Here is UConn’s recruiting ranks each year in the AAC

• 21 in 2019
• 117 in 2018 (coaching transition year)
• 84 in 2017
• 8 in 2016
• 47 in 2015
• 46 in 2014

Those are pretty good recruiting classes, which means UConn should have been pretty good! But they weren’t because the conference stinks I guess, or something like that.

Cincinnati has not produced many highly ranked recruiting classes or even individual top recruits, yet they have made the tournament every year in the AAC. Good coaching means something. (yes, they didn’t have success in March, but making the tournament is still better than not…). Memphis has the #1 recruiting class in the country (IN THE COUNTRY!). Out of the AAC. Tell me again, what’s UConn’s excuse?

“No one wants to play in Tulsa on a Tuesday night”

I keep hearing Tulsa used as the dart board for reasons why the AAC geographically stinks. I get it, UConn wants local opponents from their past, they want to play at MSG.

Maybe the AAC does lack exciting opponents – I get why UConn fans wouldn’t be super psyched to see Tulsa, Tulane, and East Carolina come to Storrs/Hartford. But how come Cincinnati and Houston have been selling out their arenas against those opponents? Is it possible that it’s more than just the opponents and that attendance is down because the team has struggled?

As noted above, Tulsa has a winning record vs UConn since the start of the AAC. But keep telling me how they are beneath UConn.

Jim Calhoun is a legend

In hindsight, Jim Calhoun deserves so much more credit for what UConn was during his tenure. I don’t think being in the Big East will help UConn get back to the level they once were, though it should help a little bit. The level they once were is credited solely to Calhoun. Kevin Ollie and now Bobby Hurley have done what they can recruiting and it will definitely help Hurley to have a Big East logo on his chest, but this still isn’t the same Big East. And this isn’t the same UConn. And it never again will be.

“MSG has all the appeal”

Everyone points to “the mecca of basketball” New York City as a big draw for the Big East. But here’s the truth – many teams from all over the country play in NYC and Madison Square Garden. You don’t have to play at UConn or play in the Big East to play at MSG.

Here’s a list of teams that played at MSG in 2018 – West Virginia, Texas Tech, Florida, Oklahoma, Iowa, Oregon (among others). In recent years, AAC teams like Temple, Cincinnati, Memphis have all played at The Garden.

Bottom line is, there are many ways to play in Madison Square Garden, than to just play in the Big East.

AAC Will Survive and Thrive

AAC basketball has been very strong the past few years and will continue to move forward. Reminder, even though “the Big East is clearly superior to the AAC”, both conferences had the same amount of NCAA Tournament teams in 2019.

Despite the public’s perception, AAC will not struggle without UConn. Huskies have been irrelevant the last three years and outside of their first season in the conference, in 2013-14 when they won the National Championship as an 7 seed, they haven’t been a factor at all in the AAC race.

Sure. UConn represents a strong brand name. But Memphis also has a strong brand name and they enter 2019-20 with the #1 recruiting class and a big name coach in Penny Hardaway. Cincinnati has been to the NCAA Tournament 9 straight times and should be on track for #10. Houston is coming off a Sweet 16 appearance in 2019 and UCF and Temple both made the tournament as well. Wichita State took a step back, but they are a house hold name who should be back in the tourney picture in 2020.

Don’t disrespect the AAC – it’s a very strong, quality basketball conference who has survived the last three years without UConn and will now move forward without their brand name as well.

What about Football?

The consensus on twitter and social media seems that UConn will be Independent beginning in 2020. I think fans have a much different perception of how Independence works vs. the reality of the situation.

The reality is that it is not easy to be independent. UConn will struggle to find home-and-home series with 12 teams a year, because it will be hard to find teams that straight up want to come to Storrs and quite franky UConn doesn’t have the money to pay teams for “buy games”.

Also, what incentive is there for players to come to UConn now that there is no conference championship at stake. And now that the strength of schedule might take a serious dip. “Come to UConn – if we win 6 games, we’ll celebrate by playing a bowl game in St Petersburg or Boise.” That sounds like the saddest recruiting pitch of all time.

It’s a small sample size, yes, but UConn is not that much different from schools like UMass and New Mexico State (also Independents). UConn is incomparable to Notre Dame, BYU, and Army (despite folks’ best efforts to try).

There is no market, no audience for UConn football. Whatever television deal they got (something local, like SNY/MSG) wouldn’t gross one quarter of the revenue that the AAC TV deal would. And if they play half (or more) of their games on the road, what’s even the point?

UConn is simply better off simply folding the football program and putting all of their resources into basketball. It’s what’s best for the school.

2017 NBA Draft Regrets

 

Sixers decision to trade up to #1 

Coming into the 2017 draft, Markelle Fultz was the consensus #1 pick. Philly was still in their “trust the process” phase and finished with the third pick in the lottery. Celtics won the lottery, with the Nets pick and a week before the draft swapped #1 for #3 and Philly also included the Kings 2019 pick (#14 this year).

Celtics took Jayson Tatum at #3 who is certainly one of the top players from the draft. Fultz played a grand total of 33 games for Philly, starting 15 this past season and 0 as a rookie. This was a huge whiff for a team with a championship-level core of Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons. Fultz was traded to the Magic at this past trade deadline, cutting the cord on this huge mistake.

The Celtics, meanwhile, value Tatum so much that they refused to include him in trade talks for Anthony Davis.

Knicks decision to draft Frank Ntilikina over Dennis Smith Jr

In Phil Jackson’s final move as Knicks team President, before being fired a week later, he drafted Frank Ntilikina out of Italy, one pick before the more polished and well-known Dennis Smith Jr, went one pick later to Dallas. I refuse to criticize the Knicks for passing on Donovan Mitchell, because I wasn’t a fan at the time and felt Malik Monk was higher on the wish list than Mitchell.

Anyways, Frank has played just 43 games this past season and has shown raw ability on the offensive end, averaging 5.9 ppg and 3.1 apg through two seasons. Dennis Smith Jr is now Frank’s Knicks teammate, following a trade this past February involving Kristaps Prozingis. The fact that Smith was the centerpiece of the players aspect of the trade has to hurt even more.

Hornets take Malik Monk over Donovan Mitchell 

I didn’t criticize the Knicks for passing on Mitchell, but I will criticize the Hornets. Malik Monk has averaged 7.9 ppg in 15.5 mpg through his first two seasons while Mitchell has led the Jazz to back-to-back playoff appearances while averaging 33 mpg and scoring 22 ppg

Bucks take DJ Wilson over John Collins 

DJ Wilson made virtually no contribution to the team with the NBA’s best record, while John Collins has developed into a very solid player for the Hawks, averaging 19.5 ppg and 9.8 rpg in 2018-19. Wilson has played just 70 games (only 22 as a rookie) through his first two years in the league.

6 NBA Draft Night Trade Regrets (last decade)

 

Every year there are dozens of trades the night of the NBA Draft. There is an oddity about the NBA Draft that trades are completed after the picks are made. That means some guys walk up on stage with one hat, and swap it out for a different one later in the evening.

But hat or not hat, these teams made a great pick – for some other team. A look back at 6 trades that have shook the landscape of the NBA over the past decade.

Nuggets trade Rudy Gobert to Jazz

In 2013, Nuggets picked Gobert 27th and traded him on draft night for the 46th pick (Erick Green) and cash. Gobert was Third Team All-NBA in 2019 and Defensive Player of the Year in 2018

Nuggets trade Donovan Mitchell to Jazz

Maybe Denver should stop trading with Utah on draft night? Nuggets took Mitchell 13th and sent him to Denver for Trey Lyles and the 24th pick (Tyler Lydon).

Magic acquire Serge Ibaka

In 2016, the Magic drafted Domantas Sabonis 11th overall. Minutes later, he was traded to the Thunder along with Victor Oladipo and Ersan Ilyasova for Ibaka, who played 56 games in Orlando. Magic traded Ibaka to the Raptors in 2017 for Terrence Ross. One year later, the Thunder would package Sabonis and Oladipo to the Thunder for Paul George.

Wolves trade several first round picks for Jimmy Butler

During the 2017 draft, Bulls traded Jimmy Butler to Minnesota for, what essentially amount to, three first round picks – they acquired the rights to #7 and draft Lauri Markannen, 2016 first round pick Kris Dunn, and 2014 first round pick Zach LaVine. Butler played 69 games for the Wolves and led them to one playoff game victory.

Pacers drafted Kawhi Leonard

In 2011, Pacers drafted Leonard and traded him immediately to the Spurs for George Hill. Hill spent 5 years with the Pacers on some good Indy teams. Leonard’s story is known – won the NBA Finals and Finals MVP in 2014 with the Spurs, knocking off the Heat and just did the same with the Raptors, knocking off the Warriors.

Thunder traded Eric Bledsoe to Clippers

Bledsoe was the #18 pick in the 2010 draft and traded immediately to the Thunder for a future first round pick. That pick was later used by the Thunder as part of a package with Jeff Green to the Celtics for Kendrick Perkins and Nate Robinson.

Bobcats drafted Tobias Harris for the Bucks

This was such a weird trade – in 2011, the Bobcats, Kings, and Bucks completed a three team trade on draft night. Bobcats came away with Corey Maggette and the #7 pick, which was Bismack Biyombo, Kings got John Salmons and the #10 pick, which was Jimmer Fredette, and the Bucks came away with Beno Udrih, Stephen Jackson, Shaun Livingston, and the #18 pick, Tobias Harris.

Beyond the past decade

I could go on and on about various trades – Hornets drafted Kobe Bryant #13 in 1996 and traded him to the Lakers for Vlade Divac. The same year, Bucks traded #4 pick Stephon Marbury to the Wolves for #5 Ray Allen.

Two years later, another #4 for #5 trade occurred when the Warriors drafted Vince Carter 4th and traded him to the Raptors for his UNC teammate Antawn Jamison.

That same 1998 draft, Bucks drafted Dirk Nowitzki 9th overall and traded him to the Mavs that same night. He was swapped for Robert “Tractor” Traylor, who the Mavs picked 6th overall.

Nets Draft Picks Dream Team

 

The Brooklyn, and previously New Jersey, Nets deserve a lot of criticism for trades they have made over the years involving their draft picks.

Most of the media and fan laughter comes at the expense of the famous Celtics trade, but that’s not the worst thing the Nets did.

Here’s a look back at the guys who should have, could have been on the Nets

PG Damian Lillard
SG Jaylen Brown
SF Kyle Kuzma
PF Draymond Green
C Enes Kanter

Bench:
Gorgi Dieng, Shane Larkin, Kelly Oubre, Markelle Fultz

Trades

In June 2014, Nets acquired Kevin Garnett, Paul Pierce, Jason Terry and D.J. White from the Boston Celtics for Gerald Wallace, Kris Humphries, MarShon Brooks, Kris Joseph, Keith Bogans, three first-round picks (2014, 2016 and 2018), plus the right to swap first-rounders in 2017.

How draft picks were utilized:

• 2014 – James Young #18
• 2016 – Jaylen Brown #3
• 2017 – Markelle Fultz #1 to 76ers*
• 2018 – Collin Sexton #8 to Cavs

*Celtics drafted Jayson Tatum third overall in 2017, after trading down with the 76ers. Philly took Markelle Fultz #1. You could debate which one of these guys would have, should have been Nets, but we’ll give the nod to Fultz above since he was the consensus #1 pick coming into 2017 draft.

Celtics were able to use the final pick as part of the package they sent to Cleveland in 2017 for Kyrie Irving. Ironically, Irving may leaving Brown and Tatum to join the Nets in 2019.

In March 2012, Nets acquired Gerald Wallace from Blazers for Mehmet Okur, Shawne Williams, and a 2012 first round pick (top 3 protected)

How draft pick was utilized:

• 2012 – Damian Lillard #6

In February 2011, Nets acquired Deron Williams for Derrick Favors, Devin Harris, 2011 first round pick and 2013 first round pick.

How draft picks were utilized:

• 2011 – Enes Kanter #3
• 2013 – Gorgui Dieng #21 to Wolves

*Dieng was drafted by the Timberwolves, who acquired this pick as part of a trade involving the Jazz drafting Trey Burke.

In July 2012, Nets acquire Joe Johnson from Atlanta Hawks for Jordan Farmer, Johan Petro, Anthony Morrow, Jordan Williams, and a 2013 first-round pick, a 2017 second-round pick, the option to swap 2014 or 2015 first-round picks

How the draft picks were utilized:

• 2013 – Shane Larkin #18 to Mavs
• 2015 – Kelly Oubre #15 to Wizards
• 2017 – Frank Jackson #31 to Pelicans

Hawks traded Larkin to Mavs on draft night for #16 pick Lucas Nogueria, Jared Cunningham, and Mike Muscala

Hawks traded Oubre on draft night to the Wizards for the #19 pick, which was Jerian Grant. Grant was immediately traded by Atlanta to the Knicks for Tim Hardaway Jr

In 2012, Nets acquired Dan Gadzuric and Brandon Wright for Troy Murphy and a 2012 second round pick

How the draft pick was utilized:

• 2012 – Draymond Green #35

In June 2017, Nets acquired D’angelo Russell and Timofey Mozgov from the Lakers for Brook Lopez and the #27 pick in 2017

How the draft pick was utilized:

• 2017 – Kyle Kuzma #27

Revisiting NBA Free Agency – Summer 2016

 

The summer of 2016 was a fascinating time for the NBA. A loophole in the Collective Bargaining Agreement, due to the influx in cash from the latest television negotiations, led to a huge spike in the salary cap. Essentially, every team in the league had near max cap space to work with. Teams wasted little time and plenty of money filling out their rosters.

Honorable Mentions:

Jeremy Lin, Brooklyn Nets – 3 years, $36 million

Cole Aldrich, Minnesota Timberwolves –  3 years $22 million

Solomon Hill, New Orleans Pelicans – 4 years, $34 million 

Andrew Nicholson, Washington Wizards –  4 years, $26 million 

Chicago Bulls – Dwayne Wade – 2 years, $47 million

13 Teams Who Made Horrible Contract Decisions

13. Jon Leuer, Detroit Pistons 

Contract details: 4 years, $42 million

Current situation: Traded to Bucks on draft night for #30 pick and Tony Snell

When Leuer signed with the Pistons, he was a career 6 points per game scorer. He did average a career high 10.8 ppg in his first season with Detroit but in 2019 averaged just 3.8 ppg in less than 10 mpg.

12. Nic Batum and Marvin Williams, Hornets

Contract details: Batum – 5 years, $130 million; Williams – 4 years, $54 million

Current situation: Batum’s contract runs through the end of the 2020-21 season; Williams picked up his $18 million option for 2019-20

In the Hornets’ defense, coming off a playoff appearance in 2016 this seemed like the right move. The problem was always going to be the long term implications on the salary cap, and that’s the issue facing Hornets entering the 2019 offseason. All Star/franchise player Kemba Walker is a free agent. He is likely to return to Charlotte, but the issue is the Hornets’ resources to surround Walker with talent is limited and these two crazy contracts are part of the reason.

Batum’s numbers have decreased each year of his contract and are below his career averages. A guy who succeeded early on with his athleticism, has lost a lot of it.

Williams has been consistent and steady. The problem with Williams is his consistency (10 ppg, 5 rpg) is below average for an $18 million man. He’s a solid role player who is paid like he should be one of the top players on the team.

11. Darrell Arthur, Denver Nuggets

Contract details: 3 years $23 million

Current situation: Did not play in NBA in 2018-19

Arthur’s career average is 6.5 ppg, 3.5 rpg, which was enough to earn him this contract I guess. He played 60 games over two years and was traded to the Nets last summer in a salary dump and immediately waived. He did not play in the NBA in 2018-19.

10. Dwight Howard and Kent Bazemore, Atlanta Hawks

Contract details: Dwight Howard – 3 years/$70 million; Kent Bazemore – 4 years/$70.5 million

Current situation: Dwight Howard spent 2018-19 with the Wizards; Bazemore has one more year remaining on his contract and is still (for now) with the Hawks

Howard’s 3 year deal spanned four teams – he was a solid contributor for the Hawks in 2016 and was traded to the Hornets for nothing in 2017. He averaged 16.6 ppg in 2017, his highest since 2014. In 2018, he was traded to the Nets and immediately waived before signing with the Wizards. He played just 9 games in 2019.

Bazemore averaged 11.6 ppg in 2019 and is only a career 8.7 ppg scorer. He never has and likely never will justify the contract the Hawks gave him and is currently a role player on a rebuilding team, that is impacting their potential cap space.

9. Tyler Johnson and Hassan Whiteside, Heat

Contract details: Johnson – 4 years, $50 million; Whiteside – 4 years, $98 million

Current situation: Heat traded Tyler Johnson in February to the Suns and he has one year left on his contract; Whiteside opted into his contract to remain with Heat for 2019-20

Blame the Nets for the inflated Johnson contract. Nets presented him with an absurd offer sheet and for some reason the Heat felt they just had to keep him at any cost. Johnson is not a bad player but the problem is the contract the Nets gave him was backloaded. Johnson made just $5 million each of the first two years, but made $19 million in 2018-19 and will make another $19 million in 2019-20.

Whiteside had a career resurgence in 2015-16, which was convenient timing for him to be eligible for free agency. That year, he averaged career highs in points (14.2 ppg), rebounds (11.8 rpg), and led the league in blocks (3.7 bpg), while also being the healthiest he has ever been, playing 73 games. He also averaged 12 ppg, 11 rpg in the playoffs that season. His numbers actually climbed to 17 ppg, 14 rpg in 2016-17 but have declined each of the last two years. In the 2017-18 playoffs, Whiteside averaged less than 20 minutes per game. His issue is his lack of athleticism and shooting ability.

8. Ian Mahimi, Wizards

Contract details: 4 years, $64 million

Current situation: 2019-20 will be the final year of his contract with the Wizards (pending a buyout this summer)

Ian Mahimi has started just 98 games in his 9 year career seasons, with career averages of 5.0 ppg and 4.3 rpg. He has maintained around those averages through three years in Washington, while playing less than 15 minutes per game the last two years. Mahimi is not just overpaid at $16 million per year, he is ruining the Wizards chances of finding outside improvements as a detriment to their cap sheet. Wizards might be best served buying him out via stretch provision to save some money and move on from this disaster.

7. Ryan Anderson, Houston Rockets

Contract Details: 4 years $80 million.

Current situation: Traded to the Suns at trade deadline

The Rockets tried to trade Anderson from the day he signed his contract and finally succeed in 2019, moving him to Phoenix. Anderson did average 17 ppg the year prior to signing this contract with the Pelicans, and the idea of having stretch four hitting threes off the bench for a team looking to run and shoot seemed like a good idea in theory.

6. Magic – Bismack Biyombo, Evan Fournier

Contract Details: Bismack Biyombo – 4 years, $72 million; Evan Fournier – 4 years, $85 million

Current situation: Both players are entering the final year of their contracts in 2019-20; Biyombo is currently on the Hornets; Fournier is still with the Magic

Magic are one of several teams on this list who made more than one terrible decision. Let’s start with Biyombo, who actually was coming off a very strong performance in the 2015-16 playoffs with the Raptors. But being a defensive rim stopper with minimal offensive ability is not worth anywhere near $18 million, especially in this era of the NBA. Even more especially, when you have Serge Ibaka and Nikola Vucevic on the roster too.

Fournier is a quality player, who averaged 17 ppg each of the first two seasons and 15 ppg last season. I always viewed Fournier as a really solid contributor to a playoff team, which, finally, the Magic were again in 2018-19. Still, paying over $20 million to a role player, who can score and not do much else never seemed like a wise investment. Now that the Magic are on the upswing, their financial situation is complicated and the Fournier contract doesn’t help.

5. Joakim Noah, Knicks

Contract Details: 4 years, $72 million

Current situation: Was bought out before the 2018-19 season and spent the year with the Grizzlies. Will enter free agency in 2019

We excluded Courtney Lee (4 years, $50 million) from this list because he had been one of the Knicks best players over the last two and a half seasons.

Joakim Noah, on the other hand, was awful, if he ever played. His first season with the Knicks was injury-riddle. He started all 46 games he played, with averages dipping below his career numbers (5 ppg, 8.8 rpg, 43% FT). Noah clashed with former coach Jeff Hornacek and played just 7 games in 2018, essentially being exiled for off-the-court issues, following a season opening drug suspension. Noah wasn’t welcomed back under new management in 2018-19 and ultimately bought out. He received every dollar, earning $74 million for 53 total games.

4. Bucks – Miles Plumlee, Matthew Dellavedova, Mirza Teletovic

Contract Details: Miles Plumlee – 4 years $52 million; Matthew Dellavedova – 4 years $38 million; Mirza Teletovic – 3 years, 31 million

Current situation:

Oy. Bucks didn’t do as poorly as the Lakers or other teams on this list, but none of these three players contributed to the Bucks playoff run in 2018 and all three are long gone by the time they finished 2019 with the best record.

Plumlee – traded in February 2017 to the Hornets and following the 2017 season traded to the Hawks, where he played 55 games this past season. Plumlee’s career averages of 5 ppg and 5 rpg made this contract a horrible decision from day one, but the Bucks felt like they could develop the young center and paid the price. Plumlee was initially acquired by the Bucks in 2015 as part of a deal that also included Michael Carter-Williams coming to the Bucks and Brandon Knight going to the Suns.

Dellavedova – coming off of a strong run with Cleveland, where he was considered a defensive specialist, and more of a nuisance to Steph Curry. “Delly” did average career highs in points (7.6 ppg) and assists (4.7) in 54 starts in 2016. But the emergence of 2016 rookie of the year Malcolm Brogdon and 2017 trade acquiree Eric Bledsoe bumped Delly down the depth chart. He only started 3 games last season and played in just 38. He still has two years remaining on his contract.

Teletovic – waved this past March. His 34% three point shooting was down from the year prior, but not too off base from his career averages. His overall 37% shooting was bad and the lowest of his career, he averaged just 6 ppg, down from 12 ppg the previous season.

3. Chandler Parson, Grizzlies

Contract Details: 4 years, $94 million

Current situation: Parsons has one year remaining on his contract with Grizzlies

There should be a rule against giving Parsons max deals. Several teams have now done it (Rockets, Mavs) and more have tried it (Portland was in hot pursuit at the time).

Since signing the contract, Parsons total games played each season has been 34, 36, 25 – he is making $24 million a year. His scoring average has dipped to 7.2 ppg in Memphis and he has shot just 39%, numbers that are all well below his career totals. It’s sad that injuries have derailed his once promising career, but the Grizzlies knew his injury history and yet chose to overpay him anyway.

2. Blazers – Allen Crabbe, Evan Turner, Meyers Leonard, Mo Harkless, Festus Ezeli

Contract Details: Allen Crabbe – 4 years $75 million; Evan Turner 4 years, $70 million; Meyers Leonard 4 years, $41 million; Mo Harkless 4 years, $40 million; Festus Ezeli 2 years, $15 million

Current situation: Crabbe, Turner, Leonard, Harkless all have one year remaining on their contracts; Crabbe was traded to the Nets after one year and enters 2019 on the Hawks; Turner, Leonard, Harkless remain with Portland, Ezeli hasn’t played since the 2015-16 season.

It’s amazing that the Blazers have finished in third place in the West each of the last two seasons, considering how high their cap sheet is, as a result of some highly questionable spending three years ago.

Before 2016, Crabbe had averaged 8.3 ppg and started 24 games. That earned him $18 million a year in a contract from the Nets. As a restricted free agent, the Blazers opted to match the contract but traded him to the Nets the next year for virtually nothing. While he’ll never be a team’s best player or (likely) even an All Star (most likely) he has performed well and showed promise as a role player.

Turner was largely considered a “bust” after being the second overall pick in the 2010 draft. Turner was reportedly the Blazers second option after Chandler Parsons took more money from the Grizzlies. You can almost call Turner a healthier Parsons. He has made some big plays here and there, but his career in Portland has been largely uneventful. Turner has played a big role off the bench, playing around 20 mpg. This description does not align with an $18 million player.

Leonard, a former first round pick, has seen his numbers remain consistent – he is a career 5.6 ppg scorer and has hauled in 3.7 rpg. Leonard has been so underwhelming that Portland acquired Jusef Nurkic last season and signed Enes Kanter this season, knowing that Leonard wasn’t going to elevate them.

Harkless fits the same exact description as Crabbe and Turner. A solid, nothing special player, who has been a good contibutor has been a decent role player for Portland. He averaged career highs in 2016-17 and played 77 games (starting 69). Harkless fits nicely with Lillard and McCollum and shot 41% from three in 2018. The Blazers need his outside shooting but they also need more all-around players.

After winning a championship and having a successful four year ollege career, Ezeli signed a big deal with the Blazers and never played a game for Portland due to injuries.

1. Lakers – Luol Deng, Timofey Mozgov, Jordan Clarkson

Contract details: Luol Deng – 4 years, $72 million; Timofey Mozgov – 4 years, $64 million; Jordan Clarkson – 4 years $50 million

Current situation: Deng was bought out before 2018-19 and played for Timberwolves, will be free agent in 2019; Mozgov did not play in 2018-19 Clarkson on Cavs

I thought about just making the caption here “LOL” and not going in depth, but it might actually be funnier to spell this out.

Deng – in his first year, he averaged a career low 7.6 ppg (first time ever under 11 ppg) and played just 56 games, his fewest since 2012. Year 2, Deng played ONE game! Not because of injury, but because the Lakers essentially deactivated him. He was finally released last summer and spent 2018-19 with the Wolves, where he only played 22 games.

Mozgov – the jokes write themselves and nothing I can say, hasn’t already been said. Coming off of winning an NBA title with the Cavs (he wasn’t the reason though), Mozgov got PAID and returned the favor to the Lakers, playing 54 games (starting 52), averaging 7.4 ppg, 4.9 rpg. He spent 2017-18 with the Nets following a trade and didn’t play in 2018-19.

Clarkson – the good news for Clarkson is he averaged a career-high 16.8 ppg in 2018-19. But he did so with the Cavs. At the 2018 trade deadline, LA sent Clarkson and Larry Nance to the Cavs for Isaiah Thomas. He played all but one game last year. Clarkson is a quality role player on a good team, which the Lakers weren’t at the time of this contract nor were the Cavs this past year.

Recapping Sacramento Kings Drafts During Playoff Drought

 

Sacramento Kings have the longest active playoff drought in the NBA, they havent made it since 2006.

A big reason why is poor drafting and poor decision making on draft night.

Here is a look back at every Kings first round draft pick from 2006-2019.

2006 – Quincy Douby (19)

Kings career – 3 years (143 games) – 4.1 ppg

Draft hindsight – Rajon Rondo was picked 21, Kyle Lowry 24

2007 – Spencer Hawes (10)

Kings career – 3 seasons (220 games, 113 starts) – 8.8 ppg, 5.5 rpg

Draft hindsight – Joakim Noah went one pick earlier and Thadeus Young was drafted two spots later

2008 – Jason Thompson (12)

Kings career – 7 seasons (541 games, 405 starts) – 9.4 ppg, 6.9 rpg

Draft hindsight – Brook Lopez was drafted two spots prior

2009 – Tyreke Evans (4), Omri Casspi (23)

Kings career – Evans – 5 seasons (271 games, 253 starts) – 17.2 ppg, 4.7 rpg, 4.7 apg; 2010 Rookie of the Year

Casspi – 5 seasons (306 games, 100 starts) – 9.6 ppg

Draft hindsight – James Harden went one pick before Evans and Steph Curry was picked three spots later at 7

Instead of Casspi, Kings could have had Taj Gibson or DeMarre Carroll

2010 – Demarcus Cousins (5)

Kings career – 7 seasons (470 games, 448 starts) – 21 ppg, 10.8 rpg, 1.2 bpg; 4x NBA All Star

Draft hindsight – this was absolutely the right pick

2011 – Bismack Biyombo (7)

Draft hindsight – Biyombo, picked 7th, was traded on draft night to the Hornets in a three team deal that landed 10th pick Jimmer Fredette in Sacramento. Bucks picked Jimmer, on behalf of Kings

The very next pick (11) was Klay Thompson and five picks after Jimmer (15) was Kawhi Leonard.

Jimmer played 3 seasons with the Kings, averaging just 7 ppg

2012 – Thomas Robinson (5)

Kings career – 1 season (51 games) – 4.8 ppg, 4.7 rpg; traded halfway through rookie year as part of a package for Patrick Patterson

Draft hindsight – the next four picks after Robinson went fifth – Damian Lillard, Harrison Barnes, Terrence Ross, Andre Drummond. Yikes

2013 – Ben McLemore (7)

Kings career – 5 seasons (312 games, 216 starts) – 9 ppg

Draft hindsight – the next three picks after McLemore was picked seventh – Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, Trey Burke, CJ McCollum. Giannis Antetokounmpo was drafted 15th.

2014 – Nik Stauskas (8)

Kings career – 1 season (73 games) – 4.4 ppg; traded after one season to 76ers, along with 2019 first round pick for cap space

Draft hindsight – Anyone would have been better. Elfrid Payton (10), Dario Saric (12), Zach LaVine (13), Gary Harris (19). Marcus Smart and Julius Randle were picked immediately before Stauskas.

2015 – Willie Cauley-Stein (5)

Kings career – 4 seasons (295 games, 199 starts) – 10.1 ppg, 6.4 rpg

Draft hindsight – Kings missed out on Karl Anthony-Towns, D’angelo Russell, and Kristaps Porzingis. The guys drafted immediately after weren’t great but the big lottery misses were Myles Turner (11) and Devin Booker (13)

2016 – Marquese Chriss (8)

Draft hindsight – Chriss was traded on draft night to the Suns for Georgios Papagiannis and Skal Labissiere.

2017 – De’Aaron Fox (5), Zack Collins (10)

Kings career – Fox – 2 seasons (154 games, 141 starts) – 14.6 ppg, 3.3 rpg; Collins was traded on draft night for Justin Jackson and Harry Giles

Draft hindsight – Fox developed in his second year. No regrets there. At 10, Kings could have had Donovan Mitchell or kept the pick since Collins has proven to be better than both Jackson and Giles (who came along nicely at end of 2019)

2018 – Marvin Bagley (2)

Kings career – 1 season (62 games, 4 starts) – 14.9 ppg, 7.6 rpg

Draft hindsight – Drafted Bagley over Luka Doncic and Trae Young